Sometimes, you don’t realize how much someone has influenced you until you really look back to reflect on it. George has known me since I was four, and we have only grown closer since then. I was the only senior on the gymnastics team that graduated this year, and he made it such a memorable year for me. As my coach, he taught me new lessons everyday, both by example and through conversation. Now, in college, I still remember things that he has told me, and those words can get me through practically anything, in gymnastics and far beyond.
“Always work your hardest, no matter what. If you work your hardest on the bad days, doing whatever you are physically capable of, then that is going to make the good days even better.” That is the number one piece of advice that George gave me, and it had proven to be true many times over in my life. In gymnastics, there are days when I can barely move I hurt so much. George doesn’t tell me to try the hard stuff anyways. Not every day is going to be brilliant, and I don't want to hurt myself. Instead, he says “do whatever you can, and keep working on the techniques that will help you do the skill tomorrow.” So, I would do a hundred single back-handsprings on beam, only to find that the double-handsprings were so much easier the next day, when I was feeling better.
The key to living by these words of his is not to be so hard on yourself. I have been in many situations where I have found my eyes filling up with tears when I fell short of my expectations for myself. It may be getting a bad grade on a test, or falling over and over on a skill that I had done perfectly the previous day. I know that life is full of ups and downs; I've heard it said many times before. However, it is often difficult to accept the downs, especially when it seems to be a quick drop. Instead of getting emotional and mad at yourself, you have to start the climb back up to the top. But, you can't jump right up there in one swift motion. You have to work through the bad days, doing everything that you can to make them worthwhile. Then, when you do finally get to the top, it feels a thousand times better.
Some days in school I didn’t get enough sleep, or I was upset about something that happened outside the classroom. Instead of getting stressed out about the workload, I would take a deep breath, and just keep working. If I can listen to the teacher, get the notes, and keep working, than tomorrow is going to be easier. It’s the idea that I just have to keep my chin up, and know that the sun will come out tomorrow. As cheesy as it sounds, I have found these words to be true many times throughout my life so far.
Yes, I’m the type of person who gets mad at myself, or upset when things don’t go how I had envisioned them. George and I have had our share of fights, but in the end, he is like a second father to me. He has taught me the importance of not letting my emotions control me. He has taught me that if I work hard enough day after day without getting mad at myself, than the results will prove to be rewarding. When I was little, I applied these words directly to my gymnastics, and after a few years, I began to see what he was talking about. Now that I am older, I am able to apply this philosophy to all aspects of my life, including school. In school, mindsets are huge, and I believe that I have a fairly positive mindset. I owe a lot of that to George for teaching me the importance of making the most out of every day, because there is always something that we can do today to make tomorrow better. After fourteen years of working with George, he has proven to me that success as a result of hard work is a real thing.
“Always work your hardest, no matter what. If you work your hardest on the bad days, doing whatever you are physically capable of, then that is going to make the good days even better.” That is the number one piece of advice that George gave me, and it had proven to be true many times over in my life. In gymnastics, there are days when I can barely move I hurt so much. George doesn’t tell me to try the hard stuff anyways. Not every day is going to be brilliant, and I don't want to hurt myself. Instead, he says “do whatever you can, and keep working on the techniques that will help you do the skill tomorrow.” So, I would do a hundred single back-handsprings on beam, only to find that the double-handsprings were so much easier the next day, when I was feeling better.
The key to living by these words of his is not to be so hard on yourself. I have been in many situations where I have found my eyes filling up with tears when I fell short of my expectations for myself. It may be getting a bad grade on a test, or falling over and over on a skill that I had done perfectly the previous day. I know that life is full of ups and downs; I've heard it said many times before. However, it is often difficult to accept the downs, especially when it seems to be a quick drop. Instead of getting emotional and mad at yourself, you have to start the climb back up to the top. But, you can't jump right up there in one swift motion. You have to work through the bad days, doing everything that you can to make them worthwhile. Then, when you do finally get to the top, it feels a thousand times better.
Some days in school I didn’t get enough sleep, or I was upset about something that happened outside the classroom. Instead of getting stressed out about the workload, I would take a deep breath, and just keep working. If I can listen to the teacher, get the notes, and keep working, than tomorrow is going to be easier. It’s the idea that I just have to keep my chin up, and know that the sun will come out tomorrow. As cheesy as it sounds, I have found these words to be true many times throughout my life so far.
Yes, I’m the type of person who gets mad at myself, or upset when things don’t go how I had envisioned them. George and I have had our share of fights, but in the end, he is like a second father to me. He has taught me the importance of not letting my emotions control me. He has taught me that if I work hard enough day after day without getting mad at myself, than the results will prove to be rewarding. When I was little, I applied these words directly to my gymnastics, and after a few years, I began to see what he was talking about. Now that I am older, I am able to apply this philosophy to all aspects of my life, including school. In school, mindsets are huge, and I believe that I have a fairly positive mindset. I owe a lot of that to George for teaching me the importance of making the most out of every day, because there is always something that we can do today to make tomorrow better. After fourteen years of working with George, he has proven to me that success as a result of hard work is a real thing.